Promise
by Yuka Hasumi
Summary: Hisoka is put up for display in a zoo. Tsuzuki's not happy about it. How will he save Hisoka? My first fic, please be nice. Read and review so i can know what I'm doing wrong.. Chap 9 finally UP! AU
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer : I do not own Yami no Matsuei… if I did, Hisoka and Tsuzuki would already be married.. with Hijiri as their kid..

Promise.

Tsuzuki and Hisoka haven't met, they're not shinigami, they're still alive and so is everyone in this story until I say so.

Chap 1 Destined Encounter

Meet Tsuzuki Asato, your average wage earner. One day, our hero felt like taking a walk that July afternoon. After a long day of work, he had no intention of rushing home to complete his paperwork. He was a man of few friends, not because people hated him or anything, its just that he didn't want so much of his time to have to be spent on entertaining friends. After all, no matter how lazy he might be, he's still a busy guy.

_Moving Zoo, this way.. _the small banner in front of him displayed.

'Zoo, huh?' he muttered to himself. 'Hmm.. I still have time to spare. (A/N : Some busy guy.. (rolls eyes) oh well, read on.) Why not? It might be fun! And besides, it's a free entry!', he said gleefully.

Upon entering the front gate, he saw many cages of different sizes. All were holding different varieties of animals, big, small, dangerous, and some just plain cute. He walked around, just looking at all the different animals. Soon, he felt quite bored and thought that he might as well go home and finish his paperwork (yeah, right..).

He was just looking for the exit when he set his eyes on one particular cage which had a lot of visitors surrounding it. He couldn't see what was inside, but his curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to just hang around for a little while more and see what the fuss was about.

He could have jumped when he saw what was inside. A teenage boy, with wheat coloured hair and big emerald green eyes. _What's he doing in there? _The boy was dressed in ragged robes and was lying on the floor of the cage. Inside, there were two other men, one holding a gun to the boy's head, and the other, talking to the crowd.

'Come on over and see the freak! He feels other peoples emotions, and when its too much for him, something amazing happens! Beware, though. This creature can be extremely dangerous' he cried to the crowd. _So that's why the guy with the gun's there.._

The boy nervously looked into the crowd and eyed the people suspiciously, clearing reading their thoughts. Various emotions went through him at one shot. Too many emotions. He put his hands on his head and closed his eyes, trying to block them out, but as always, it didn't work.

'Now ladies and gentlemen,' the man announced ' watch closely..'

The boy let out a silent scream and an orange coloured energy blasted out from his back (A/N : think the time that Tsuzuki grabbed Hisoka in the Nagasaki arc by his shoulders and that orange thing that came out and hurt Tsuzuki.. Remember?) . The crowd gasped and backed off a little. Then they inched closer to try to figure out how that really happened. The men in the cage weren't hurt and they simply smirked. The boy was left panting.

_W-what was that! I've never seen anything like that before.. My goodness, the poor boy! Put on display like that, I'm sure he still gets hurt when he does that! _ Tsuzuki instantly despised the men who were in the cage and whoever that thought about putting the boy there in the first place.

'The next show will be tomorrow, folks!' the man said. _SHOW? Those bastards..!_

The crowd parted and the men left the boy in the cage. Tsuzuki slowly went up to the cage and watched the sleeping (or passed out) boy. _I wish I could just take you out of this place. You don't deserve this. No one does._

The boy opened his eyes slowly and eyed Tsuzuki. The man smiled back at him, trying not to scare him in any way. 'uh,.. hello there..' Tsuzuki started.

The boy got up and slowly crawled to the cage bars. 'Hi, I'm Tsuzuki' he said, still smiling. 'What's yours?' The boy kept silent and wondered how anyone could be so nice to a stranger. 'uh.. can-… can you talk?'

Slowly, he smiled and said, 'I… My name is Hisoka. Kurosaki Hisoka.'


	2. Chapter 2

A/N : Thank you soooo much for all the reviews! I seriously didn't think anyone was going to even bother to read this hopeless story by a rookie T.T .. I hope this second chapter lives up to your expectations! I'm still not very sure on how to do different things on this sites.. like bios and all that, so I'm sorry if updating becomes slow….

Chap 2 Pure Luck

Everyday, it was the same thing. After work, Tsuzuki would stop by the zoo just so he could visit Hisoka. The moment he found out his name, he felt like it suited the beautiful creature. He actually went home after their first meeting vowing that he would remember Hisoka's name and vowing that he would visit him whenever possible. He would stay with the youth longer, but he would get shooed away by the security guards sooner or later.

It was always the same thing. Tsuzuki would wait for the crowd to part after the daily 'show' that he hated so much. Then he would go up to Hisoka and comfort him. Hisoka, on the other hand, always waited patiently for Tsuzuki to come. No matter how painful it would get during the show, he knew that soon he would get what he was waiting for. And that, was to see Tsuzuki again.

Their meeting would get more and more intimate every time they met. Hisoka even allowed Tsuzuki to stroke him sometimes. Whenever they had to part (because of those annoying security guards… twitch twitch), Tsuzuki would reach into the cage and pull Hisoka into a hug, promising him that he would be back the next day.

And now, we meet another character in our fanfic… Tatsumi Seiichiro. The only nice security guard in the whole place. Luckily for Tsuzuki, he's in charge of the security team and is quite lenient with Tsuzuki's everyday visits. If he wasn't in charge, poor Tsu-chan probably would be shot dead by those other annoying guards, who by the way, don't agree with Tatsumi on letting Tsu get so close with one of their 'displays'.

Tatsumi, on the other hand, thought it was cute and sweet that the poor boy finally got the love that he deserved. Tatsumi can't do what Tsuzuki does. Because if he did, he would probably get fired for 'communicating with displays' and some other idiot would probably be put in charge, and Tsu would be shot.. and bla bla bla… you know what I mean.. ( )

"Tsu..?"

"Yes, Hisoka?"

"Do you have the feeling that someone's being extra nice on letting you visit me all the time?" (Empathy acting up again..)

"Hmmm…. Never really thought about it. Why?"

"uh.. well.. Have you ever noticed that one particular guard always looks at us and smiles, while the others see us and start patting their guns lovingly…?"

"umm.. no? But don't worry about it, Hisoka. I'm sure that smiling guy is on our side." And with that, Tsuzuki smiled reassuringly.

"Yeah", Hisoka agreed, though clearly still worried. _I hope so.._

Just then, the clock tower nearby sounded and it was time for the visitors to leave. Almost immediately, the annoying guards jumped out of nowhere with their guns aiming at Tsuzuki.

"Oh crud.." Tsuzuki started to panic.

Tatsumi came from behind and commanded them to hold their fire. The annoying guards sulkily lowered their guns. Tatsumi looked at Tsuzuki, signaling to him that he'd better leave before they change their minds about shooting him.

Tsuzuki got the message almost instantly. After all, it wasn't his first time being shooed away by guards… He reached into the cage and pulled Hisoka into a tight hug, giving him the same promise that he gave every time they had to part… and then, he ran for his life when he saw one guard start to raise his gun again…

A/N : I have nothing against security guards, they do a great job in protecting the peace. Its just that I needed them to be the sort of bad guy in this fic… "


	3. Chapter 3

Ya, minnasan… Look I'm REALLY SORRY that Chapter 2 sucked. Even I hate it… Well, maybe I wouldn't have hated it so much if I introduced Tatsumi better… sigh Anyway, my AU world is… weird. So expect weirdness, people! On to the 3rd chapter!

Chap 3 The Deal

_It can't wait any longer…I've gotta do it… It HAS to be tomorrow!_

As usual, Tsuzuki went to visit Hisoka after work. Since they had gotten so close, Hisoka asked Tsuzuki about many things. Things like what life was like outside his cage. He would always listen to Tsuzuki's answer attentively and seem very interested all the time.

After their meeting, the guards (remember, my AU is pure weird..) jumped out of nowhere and pulled their guns on Tsuzuki. Only this time, Tsuzuki didn't try to save his skin. Instead, he stared them in the eyes.

"Tsuzuki! What are you doing! Run!", Hisoka shouted.

Tsuzuki paid no attention to him and asked the guards, "Where is your manager? I need to speak to him"

Almost all the guards looked shocked, confused and somewhat angry that Tsuzuki didn't seem as scared of them as he was every other day. Tatsumi came from behind the group and pointed him in the direction of the office. "Whatever you want to discuss,… I hope it goes well.", he said. _For the youth's sake. It'll be hell if something happened to you._

Hisoka turned his gaze onto Tatsumi. Suspicion ran through his mind but he pushed the feeling away mentally.

"Thank you," Tsuzuki replied and after hugging Hisoka, made his way to the manager's office. Hisoka watched his friend until he walked out of sight, then retreated to the corner of his cage and curled himself into a ball to keep warm. He fell asleep no long after.

Tsuzuki kept walking until he reached a small tent (zoo, remember?) with a sign saying 'OFFICE – MANAGER IS IN' He gulped and slowly entered the tent. The manager looked up at Tsuzuki, slightly surprised to see him. "Uh.. yes? Can I help you?" he asked with a kansai accent that almost sounded fake.

"Uh.. well.. yes. My name is Tsuzuki and I want to make a deal with you regarding one of your uh…displays. Mr….?" Tsuzuki replied slightly angrily and serious.

"Ah.. I'm Himura (1)," the manager answered, getting up slowly to shake Tsuzuki's hand "Hmm… what sort of deal? But just so you know, I don't come cheap.."

"It's alright. I can pay you." _I've been saving up for soo long for this.. He better accept my offer. He HAS to.,. For Hisoka.._

"Well.. what deal are we talking about now?" (getting impatient)

"I'll pay you 50,000 yen (2) if you let me take the empath out for a whole day, form dawn to midnight. It has to be tomorrow."

"Whoa!… That one's my biggest attraction! You can't just take him!"

"You're not even making any money out of him! It's a free entry!"

"oh… right.."

"But if you just give him to me for one day, you'll get paid for nothing!"

"I see where you're going… Alright. One day, from dawn to midnight. You better have him back by then, or I'll have the authorities come after you!" he threatened.

"Thank you soo much, Himura-san. I promise I'll have him back by midnight" And with that, they shook hands, bid goodnight and Tsuzuki left, feeling happy.

Just wait till tomorrow, Hisoka…I promise you it'll be the best thing that has ever happened to you…

**A/N : **

**(1) Himura not Himura Kenshin… Ruruoni Kenshin fans need not worry… **

**(2) 50,000 yen dunno if that's a lot in Japan…**

**I hope this chapter's better than the last one… I didn't have time to make it longer or anything… sorry, please await the next chapter, ne? Reviews much appreciated! **


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you for the reviews! They're priceless to me… especially since I thought no one would even bother to read this fic… I'm so lucky… T.T I hope you enjoy this chapter

Chap 4 One Day of Freedom (PART 1)

It was almost dawn. Tsuzuki made his way to the zoo at around 5.00 a.m. carrying a bag of clothes he bought for Hisoka the night he made the one-day-freedom deal with the manager. As he looked around, he noticed that most of the shops weren't even open yet (obviously…). He had to take a day off from work just to take Hisoka out.

This is gonna be great. I've got everything planned perfectly for today. Its going to be the best day of his life… I'll make sure of it!

As he entered the zoo, he noticed that the security guards were all snoring. Only one was awake and waiting for him, and that was Tatsumi. Tatsumi smiled at him and accompanied him to Hisoka's cage. The boy didn't know anything about the deal and slept peacefully inside his cage.

"Does he always have to sleep that way?" Tsuzuki asked as he saw his friend without any blankets or any source of warmth.

"I'm afraid so. I'm not allowed to go near him, actually. Most of the guards are forbidden as well,… for their own safety I guess", Tatsumi replied sadly.

Tsuzuki's eyes narrowed at the reply but widened again in happiness as he saw the cage door being unlocked and opened. Hisoka stirred but didn't wake up. Tsuzuki was allowed to reach into the cage to wake him up. But instead of simply reaching in, he entered the cage himself and cradled Hisoka as though he was a baby. Still, Hisoka didn't wake up.

"Hey… wake up… It's me…", Tsuzuki whispered.

At that, Hisoka's eyes snapped open and he stared at Tsuzuki for the longest time before realizing that it wasn't a dream.

"Tsu…? What are doing here? What time is it? What's going on?" Hisoka mumbled while sleepily rubbing his eyes.

Tsuzuki just smiled and said "Don't worry,… You'll see. Now come on. Get up. We have until midnight tonight to do whatever we want. Outside this zoo, Hisoka. Away from this cage, the crowds and everything. It'll just be the two of us."

"H-huh?" Hisoka was confused but obeyed anyway.

Tsuzuki helped Hisoka out of his cage and the boy stretched his legs for the first time in such a long time that he had lost track of time. He had a little trouble when he tried to stand but Tsuzuki helped him every step of the way until they were out if the zoo.

They made their way to Tsuzuki's apartment so that Hisoka could change. He hadn't done so many things in such a long time that he had forgotten how to do them. Tsuzuki had to help him very often in doing things such as putting on clothes and such (he's been wearing the same rags since who knows when).

A few minutes later, they left the apartment and Tsuzuki led them to a hill covered with beautiful sakura trees. They sat under one and Tsuzuki wrapped his arms around Hisoka and made sure he was comfortable before asking him to turn his gaze to the area he pointed at.

Almost as soon as he told him to do so, Hisoka's eyes widened in fascination as he saw the sun rise in the distance. He hadn't seen anything so nice for such a long time. Tsuzuki simply chuckled when he saw Hisoka's dumbstruck expression.

"Tsu… It's so… pretty…"

"Not as pretty as you," Tsuzuki replied hugging him tightly as the boy smiled, blushing slightly. "Come on, Hisoka. There's so much more I want to show you today."

So they got up and walked around Tokyo, smelling the fresh morning air and watching people open their shops. Hisoka thought that he needed another few pairs of eyes to catch everything in one go. Of course, for other people, it would be nothing more than a normal everyday sight. For Hisoka however, it was like being in a whole new country, a new world that he'd never dreamed of.

"Hisoka… you hungry?" Tsuzuki's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"H-huh? Uh… um.. okay." Hisoka hardly ate but didn't want to spoil Tsuzuki's good, cheerful mood, so he said nothing as he was led into a local café and bought him more food than he ever had in the past month.

_All this for breakfast? How on Earth am I supposed to finish this all by myself? But I don't want to upset him. He's been so nice to me… oh well, I'll try to eat as much as I can._

So he tried, and found the food tasty. But since he was so used to eating almost nothing all the time, he couldn't eat more than a few bites. This caught Tsuzuki's eye and made him slightly concerned.

"Soka? What's wrong" he inquired.

"Um… well, I'm not used to seeing this much food at one time. I don't usually eat more than a few bites."

"Oh… I see." Tsuzuki felt angry that Hisoka hadn't been treated any better than his show times. He was mistreated all the time. "Well, let me help you finish. We've still got lots more to see today. I'm gonna make sure you enjoy yourself today" and he smiled.

Hisoka smiled as he watched his friend gobble up all the food placed on the table, even his. "Don't worry. I already am."

**A/N : This chapter ended up longer than I wanted… so I'm breaking it up into two parts. The second part will be in the next chapter. My friend's scolding me for not trying to prolong this story… -- well… it might be long now…**

**What did you think of this chapter? And could someone tell me exactly which part in this story sounds like 'Phantom of the Opera'? I can't get it at all….**


	5. Chapter 5

Wow thanks to DreamingToThis –san who answered my Phantom of the Opera question… I never saw the movie, so I didn't know about his past. I just read the novel… "

I hope this chapter's ok… here's the second part of the previous chapter… 

Chap 5 One Day of Freedom (PART 2)

After a hearty breakfast, Tsuzuki decided to bring Hisoka shopping with him. The boy needed to stretch his legs anyway, so of course, he agreed and followed Tsuzuki everywhere without any complaints. He was ushered into a shopping mall somewhere alongside a beach.

Tsuzuki went nuts once inside the mall. He wanted to buy everything he laid eyes on for Hisoka. Particularly the sweets that were green and purple in colour. He would then ramble on and on about how purple and green look nice together.

"And no matter how you mix it around, it'll still look pretty! Well… unless you mix it up completely like Play-Doh then you would get some sort of… mushy brown…" And he wrinkled his nose in slight disgust.

Hisoka just smiled and chuckled slightly. He had no idea what the crap Play-Doh was but didn't say anything. Still, the way Tsuzuki rambled was entertaining.

"You know… I've never told you this, have I?" Hisoka murmured.

"What? Tell me what?" the now puppy-formed man asked.

"Well,… your eyes are really one of the most prettiest things I've ever seen in my life" he answered quickly and bowed his head so that he wouldn't be seen blushing. Again.

"Aww… That's so sweet, Hisoka." Tsuzuki replied. "Your eyes are the most prettiest things I've ever seen in my life too. It's just that…"

"What?" (blushing)

"There's something prettier."

"Well of course there is. Nature, animals, the stars at night…"

"No… I mean… you're the prettiest thing I've ever seen in my life. Nothing else. Just you, and you alone. I'm glad and thankful that I met you, Hisoka. You complete me." He smiled and reached out to hold Hisoka's small hands.

"T-Tsuzuki…" (blushing like mad, but smiling)

The crowd around them started clapping and it was then when they realized that the whole drama that they had performed had been watched by a huge live audience. Both men blushed at the reality that sunk in.

"Uh… Hisoka?"

"Yeah?" (still blushing)

"Wanna run?"

"Sure."

And they both ran from the cheering crowd toward a different area of the mall. After much running and panting, they finally slowed to a halt. Hisoka said he needed the bathroom to freshen up a little, so Tsuzuki pointed him in the direction of the bathrooms saying that he'll be waiting for him outside.

Seeing that Hisoka was gone, Tsuzuki took the chance to browse through a shop to buy something for Hisoka. Something that he would love and never go anywhere without it. And soon, he found exactly what he wanted. Happily buying the gift, the left the shop to wait for Hisoka.

Soon after lunch, (another big and heavy meal) they went to the movies. Hisoka had never been to one, and Tsuzuki hadn't been in one in such a long time. In the dark theatre, Tsuzuki wrapped his arm around Hisoka and pulled him close. The movie was a scary one, so Hisoka got scared at most of the scary parts and tugged at Tsuzuki's sleeve. Oh well. Tsuzuki sure enjoyed the movie.

**A/N : argh… no time to finish the 2nd part of the chapter… I guess its gonna be a three-part chapter sort of thing.. unless I can't finish it in the next chapter… Reviews very much appreciated!**


	6. Chapter 6

Please keep those reviews coming! I love them! Thank you sooo much! And I'm glad Amethyst-eyed Koneko finally realizes that the annoying guards in the story coming out of nowhere to shoot Tsuzuki shameless are supposed to be comic relief… Anyway, here's the 3rd part of chapter 4…

Chap 6 One Day of Freedom (PART 3)

Tsuzuki got hungry (again) after over an hour at the movies. He begged Hisoka for permission to stop for some tea. Hisoka of course, agreed. So they went to find a somewhere they could sit and have something to eat. Instead of getting into another restaurant, they got some drinks and some sweets from a small shop outside the mall, overlooking the seashore (Hisoka didn't want any more big meals… "). It was really a romantic setting. Just the two of them sitting together, overlooking the seashore and the waves crashing against the rocks.

But no matter how romantic the setting was, no matter how perfect everything was, how nice the day had been despite the embarrassing drama in front of the on-looking crowd, Tsuzuki felt compelled to ask Hisoka the question that was in his mind since the day he first met him.

Turning to the youth sitting on the bench beside him, he asked the dreaded question. And dreaded questions come with dreaded answers. It wasn't long before Hisoka's empathy picked up some anxiety from Tsuzuki.

"What's wrong, Tsu?"

"Uh… um… well…" (Tsuzuki forgot about his empathy ) "Hisoka…?"

"Yes?"

"I want to ask you… how on Earth did you end up in that cage?" He asked quickly to avoid any more embarrassment.

Hisoka was slightly taken aback by the question. He had never expected anyone to ask and therefore tried to erase all the bad memories of his past. But he couldn't. No matter what he did, he couldn't forget what had happened. Why he really was in that place.

Well, now, someone finally asked the question he dreaded to hear and answer. And it came from the very person he had started to develop feelings for. Deep feelings. So, since the question was asked (and Hisoka could tell how long Tsuzuki wanted that question answered), he decided to tell him everything. Everything that he wanted to forget.

**.: Flashback (** but Hisoka's still explaining it all to Tsuzuki… you get what I mean…)

It was raining heavily outside. Rain tapped the windows loudly while thunder was starting to make noises. Hisoka was quivering in the corner, staring at his father who looked extremely angry. He wished he had tried harder to master the technique he had been taught the other day. And now, instead of feeling the joy of mastering such a difficult sword technique, he would have to face the wrath of his father.

"D-daddy?… please… I'm sorry… I'll try harder next time, I promise…" he trembled at the thought of what was going to happen next.

"There won't _be_ a next time. Not for you." Came the cold reply. "You know what happens to people who don't live up to their standards here. Now move it."

"No, please,… no… I'll do better if you would just let me"

"I said, MOVE IT!"

Hisoka immediately kept his mouth shut and realized that once again, he had let his father down, and he would have to face the consequences. He slowly got up from the floor and turned around. Facing the wall, he reached out his arms to lean on it.

His father took out the whip he had been keeping near the cell. He used it every time Hisoka had not lived up to expectations. Gripping the handle firmly, he began to whip our poor Hisoka mercilessly.

Hisoka had started bleeding during the first few strokes, but that didn't stop him from receiving more. Feeling such scorching pain on his back, he began to cry. He couldn't take it anymore and fell to his knees. He curled himself into a ball and hugged himself tightly, trying to forget the pain.

"So now you're CRYING!" his father yelled. He got so angry that his face had turned red. He started to kick Hisoka. The poor youth started coughing up blood. After countless more strokes of the whip and more kicking, taunting and scolding, the man finally stopped to glare at his son.

Hisoka was panting and crying. He was still bleeding profusely, but he didn't care. All he wanted was his father to give him a second chance, but he knew, not so deep inside his heart, that it would never happen.

"I've had it with you. You're a monster with no use to this family. That was your last chance. Tomorrow I'm going to get a lawyer. And I'll see to it that you're **disowned** from this family." And with that he walked out, leaving Hisoka bleeding and crying on the floor.

End Flashback

"And I guess that's how it happened. After that, I was transferred into the zoo and when the manager realized what I could do, he put me on display instead of letting me work there." Hisoka answered. Tears had started to well up at the corners of his eyes. "I… I just wanted to make my father happy…" tears had started to fall, and Hisoka covered his face and started sobbing.

"Hisoka…" Tsuzuki now felt guilty and felt hatred towards Hisoka's 'father'. "Hisoka, I'm so sorry…" He pulled Hisoka into an embrace and let him cry on his shoulders. He wasn't sure whether he should tell him to let it all out or to stop crying. So he just kept quiet and waited for Hisoka to decide on his own.

"Sorry… that was childish" Hisoka apologized when he had finally stopped crying. He started to pull away from Tsuzuki, but he was pulled back into the comforting embrace.

"No, Hisoka. I'M sorry. I should have known it would upset you. And this was supposed to be the best day of your life and I ruined it! This is all my fault." Tsuzuki felt ashamed.

"Tsuzuki…"

"Well, now you're not alone anymore, are you?"

Hisoka looked up to him. "What?"

"You've got me!" Tsuzuki smiled. "And I swear to God that I will never leave you… if you promise the same" he winked.

Hisoka smiled. "I promise. Thank you,… Asato."

Tsuzuki smiled and hugged Hisoka tighter and kissed his forehead. "Well, shall we go? It's getting late, but there's one more thing I want to show you" Tsuzuki then ushered Hisoka from the bench and into an open field.

It was already dark. Tsuzuki held Hisoka tight and told him not to get scared of anything. Hisoka asked why he would get scared, and at that moment, a beautiful array of fireworks lighted the night sky. Hisoka DID get scared but only at the first few ones, and after Tsuzuki kissed his forehead, he felt at peace with the world.

Unfortunately, midnight was approaching fast and Tsuzuki reluctantly walked Hisoka back to the zoo (before the manager decides to call the authorities). One the way back, the moon shined brightly.

"Wow… I've never seen the moon so clearly before… its usually blocked by a tree or something." Hisoka said.

Tsuzuki chuckled. "Well, you can see it now."

They finally reached the gates of the zoo and they stopped. Turning to Hisoka, he pulled out a small present from his pocket. It was the gift he had bought from the shop earlier.

"Hisoka, before you have to go back in there, I want you to have this." He handed the gift over to Hisoka who shyly opened it. He gasped in surprise when he saw it. A necklace. With a pressed four-leaved-clover enclosed in a small glass frame, and at the back it had an inscription that said "Asato and Hisoka. Together Forever."

"Tsuzuki… I… don't know what to say… thank you… so much." Hisoka mumbled.

Tsuzuki smiled at him and helped him put the necklace on. Hisoka smiled and started to finger the pendant.

"It looks good on you, 'Soka! Happy Birthday!" Tsuzuki winked.

Hisoka gasped. "H-how did you know…?"

"You told me, remember?" Tsuzuki reminded him. "You just told me the date, but you lost track of the dates since you were first locked up in that cell. So I took the chance to surprise you …"

"Oh… Tsuzuki…"

Tsuzuki wrapped his arms around Hisoka and pulled him closer.

"You know,… it feels kinda strange for me to actually receive a present from someone. I've never gotten anything so nice before…" Hisoka smiled awkwardly.

A clock tower somewhere near the zoo struck midnight. Tsuzuki looked at Hisoka, remembering that he would have to leave him in just moments. Thinking that if it was going to be the best day of both of their lives, he might as well complete it properly.

Tsuzuki Asato leaned in and pressed his lips against Hisoka's. And the empathy received his first ever kiss. Hisoka was somewhat shocked slightly, but he then relaxed and wrapped his arms around Tsuzuki's neck, closed his eyes and deepened the kiss. After what seemed like it was too soon, Tsuzuki was forced to pull away gently.

"Hisoka, I'm sorry, but I don't want to get you into trouble. I'll come again tomorrow, I promise." Tsuzuki said hastily, looking around for the security guards that were bound to show up at any moment.

"I understand"

Tsuzuki accompanied Hisoka back to his cage. After helping him into the cage, Tatsumi showed up to lock the cage door. "I hope you enjoyed your day out" He said to both of them. And he received a wide smile from them both.

"Asato? There's one thing I want to ask."

"Hmmm? What is it?"

"… Why did you kiss me?"

Tsuzuki chuckled. "I could ask you the same thing. Hisoka, I kissed you because I wanted to do that for so long. I love you."

Hisoka blushed slightly, but smiled widely. "I love you too, Asato."

Tsuzuki went closer to hug Hisoka one more time before he had to leave; but he promised, once again, to be back to see him again the next day. They kissed again and this time, Tsuzuki spotted one of the guards coming towards them. He pulled away and got ready to run.

"I love you, Hisoka!" He announced to the world while running from the zoo. The guards stopped chasing him and got irritated that he could run so fast. Then they went back to their tent. Tatsumi bid Hisoka goodnight and left for his own tent.

Hisoka retreated to the back of his cage to curl up into a ball and fall asleep. He was tired from all the walking that he hadn't done in years, but he knew Tsuzuki was right. It was really the best day of his life, despite the memory of his father. But he didn't care. He was so happy that nothing else but Tsuzuki mattered to him. He started to finger the pendant again, reading the inscription again and again.

Smiling, he said "I love you too, Asato. And I always will, no matter what happens." He brought the pendant to his lips and kissed it, before falling into a gentle slumber.

**A/N : Oh my God… this part's actually done! T.T That took so long……! Well, please tell me what you think of this chapter… I worked so hard on it… T.T The more reviews, the faster I update hehe **


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi people! Sorry I took so long to update… I had major important exams… and thanks to Amethyst-eyed Koneko for he good luck wishes!! And to Saphira112 for bugging me non-stop to update!! Hopefully you people will like this chapter it took me soo long think of how to continue this story. Please tell me what you think!**

Tsuzuki and Hisoka's relationship grew stronger than ever before. Tsuzuki rushed from work everyday to see Hisoka, hug him, hold him, kiss him… (sorry, I copied that from Kimiko Tsukhiro…XD) sometimes, onlookers would watch in envy as the couple kissed and cuddled each other lovingly. Wives and girlfriends looked at their pair, wishing their husbands and boyfriends would treat them like that.

Single men would creep up behind Tsuzuki and wish him luck with Hisoka, making them both blush (quite happily, if I may add…). This was all very new to the both of them. Neither had fallen in love this way before. Sure, there were puppy love times and crushes and such. But really, none involved feelings as strong as this.

Tsuzuki had decided to take Hisoka on another outing. This time, it was for his own birthday, but he wasn't going to let Hisoka know that. He had already spoken to the manager again in order to get permission. This time, he had to pay a little extra for he had planned to take Hisoka out for the entire weekend. Well, obviously, the manager wasn't happy, but more than agreed to lend him Hisoka at the very mention of money.

_You know what,… I'm really starting to wonder why he's so reluctant to let Hisoka go. Why does he even bother to keep Hisoka locked up there when there's a free entry to this place? He's not getting anything out of this… damn it… is he getting profit from somewhere…? _Tsuzuki pondered restlessly. _I've gotta get Hisoka out of here! I can't just keep doing this!_

Tsuzuki began thinking of a solution on his walk home.

**YnM**

Dawn the next morning, Tsuzuki gleefully made his way to the zoo to pick up Hisoka. He had planned this for ages, he even took leave from his work. Tatsumi, who had been told about the deal, waited at the zoo gates. He smiled at Tsuzuki as he opened the gate for him.

"He still doesn't know what's going on, right?" Tsuzuki asked.

"That's right," Tatsumi replied "No one told him anything. Its going to be another surprise, I say."

They reached Hisoka's cage in no time. Tsuzuki peered through the bars and let his eyes travel over his lover's slim form. Hisoka was holding the pendant he gave him in his hand, close to his lips, where Hisoka kept kissing it softly in his sleep. Tsuzuki smiled a huge smile as he felt warm inside. Tatsumi proceeded to quietly unlock the cage door.

Tsuzuki climbed into the cage and gently brought the sleeping teen into his arms; Hisoka refused to let the treasured pendant slip from his grasp. He looked so serene when he was sleeping that Tsuzuki debated with himself if he should wake the angel or just carry him home first. In the end, he decided to try his luck at bringing Hisoka home with him.

And he succeeded!!

_Man, Hisoka must be really tired. I wonder what he did last night…?_ (A/N : In actual fact, Hisoka did nothing… he's just having a good dream:D ) Tsuzuki wondered as he placed the teen on his bed and tucked him in with the blankets. Hisoka snuggled into the newfound comfort. Tsuzuki proceeded to sit on the edge of the bed and brush Hisoka's bangs out of his eyes. No sooner had he done so, Hisoka began to stir.

Emerald eyes opened slowly and cautiously before looking around and realizing that this was definitely NOT where he had fallen asleep last night. Hisoka sat up straight, slightly frightened, only to find Tsuzuki sitting in front of him, smiling gently at him, calming him down.

"Asato…?" he mumbled sleepily. _Wait a minute… he's here? This isn't my cage! Oh my god... is he gonna take me out again…? No no no… mustn't get my hopes up…_

Tsuzuki threw his arms around Hisoka, held him close and whispered into his ear, "I missed you so much, Hisoka…" Hisoka hugged him back, pendant momentarily forgotten.

"Oh my God…" Hisoka choked on his small sobs "It's you… I can't believe this is really happening…!" It felt great to hug Tsuzuki without the painful pressure of the bars in between them.

"Believe it, Hisoka," Tsuzuki replied "I've come to take you on another outing, love! And this time, we can relax a little… I've got you for a whole weekend this time! It's gonna be great, Hisoka, trust me!" he grinned.

Hisoka smiled happily. _He said something like that on our last…date. _"A whole weekend? Seriously?"

Tsuzuki pulled back slowly. "Yup! Now, come on… we have a plane to catch! I've already bought you new clothes, so you don't have to worry…"

"H-huh?" Hisoka stammered "You didn't have to do that! I would be troubling you more than enough without you having to buy me things!"

"Relax, Hisoka. It's no problem. Really. I never get to care for someone like this all the time. And besides, we should both be happy this way, right? You get to wear something other than this old robe and I get the satisfaction of taking someone under my wing…" Tsuzuki reasoned.

Hisoka smiled again. "Well… if you put it that way… Sure."

"Good," Tsuzuki breathed a sigh of relief "Now, seriously. We have to get ready. Our plane leaves in about two hours."

**YnM**

_**(A/N: I don't know if you have to take a plane to get from Tokyo to Okinawa, but in this fic, it does, okay…? Please read on…)**_

"Where are we again?"

"Okinawa, Hisoka. It's spring now; not too hot or anything. It's the perfect time to be on vacation here!" Tsuzuki fished out the hotel room keys from his pocket and unlocked their hotel room. The inside of the room was spacious, lavish and would be a perfect place for a romantic getaway. Tsuzuki did keep in mind that Hisoka was still kind of young for really adult stuff. Right now, his relationship with the empath was still in its early stages. So far, it was only kissing and cuddling. Hisoka was _not_ exactly ready for anything beyond that. Not yet.

"Oh wow…" Tsuzuki turned around and saw Hisoka admiring the room. _It must be something new to him… I'm gonna make sure he enjoys himself. I guess it'll be a birthday present for myself… God, I love seeing him so happy. _

"Look, Asato! The bathroom and the kitchen! Everything is so big!" Hisoka ran around excitedly, looking at daily things like toasters and clocks as though they were from another planet. He turned around and smiled happily at Tsuzuki. A second later, he ran towards the older man and threw his arms around him.

"Thank you! Thank you so much, Asato!"

Tsuzuki put his arms around him and held him tight. "This is just the beginning, Hisoka. Just wait, you'll see. We're gonna have the time of our lives here…" _For the next two days, I won't let you feel a moment of pain or suffering…I promise._

**It's been ages since I updated … please please PLEASE review... anonymous reviews are accepted and welcomed!! Please review and await the next chapter! It's gonna get interesting:D …I hope.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Finally, I have the time to update my fics… I wanna start another Kyou Kara Maou fic, but I feel like I've been neglecting Yami no Matsuei for some time now (gasp!) and so, let me make it up by updating this:D Please read and review!**

"Wow…" Hisoka let some tears roll down his cheeks. He gazed at the vast, sparkling ocean. It was the first time he saw something so beautiful in his life (other than Tsuzuki's eyes…). Seagulls were flying high in the sky. The sun felt warm on his skin. He didn't feel at all cold in his blue swimming shorts that Tsuzuki had bought for him as he thought he would. Instead, he felt content. Warm and happy. He hasn't felt so good in such a long time. He also felt Tsuzuki wipe the tears of awe from his eyes.

"Hisoka… you okay?"

The teen turned around to look at him and smiled happily before embracing him once more. "I'm fine, Asato. It's just so…" he turned to indicate that he was talking about the ocean "… beautiful. And overwhelming." He added.

Tsuzuki kissed the top of Hisoka's forehead. "You're even more beautiful," he said, sending a blush creeping to the youth's cheeks. Tsuzuki chuckled. "Ready to go play in the sand or the water or something? Go on! You choose which one first."

Hisoka's expression suddenly changed itself into a worried one. "But… there are so many people. Everywhere…"

Tsuzuki sighed and groaned at the same time. He had forgotten about that. After mentally smacking himself on the forehead, and idea came to him. Well, it seemed better than any other idea that had previously come to mess with his head…

"Tell you what, Hisoka," he began, sliding his arm around Hisoka's shoulders "We'll find a nice, secluded spot, okay? We'll make sure that it still has the ocean view and everything. And while we look for that spot, we're probably going to have to go through that noisy crowd of people. But you'll be alright. I won't let anyone touch or hurt you. Just stay focused on my emotions and you'll be just fine."

Hisoka nodded as they made their way towards to crowd on the shore. Almost immediately, he felt the familiar whirl of emotions being emitted by a huge crowd. Happy, angry, proud, annoyed,… the list of emotions was endless. He started to feel dizzy and willed himself to remain conscious as well as to keep himself from emitting any dangerous form of energy from himself. He was dangerous. He knew that. That's why he wasn't exactly sure of having any kind of relationship with anyone. But Tsuzuki changed that. Still, his thoughts started to stray away as his dizziness returned. Tsuzuki steadied the teen before he fell.

"Woah, easy there," Tsuzuki calmed the dizzy empath "Focus only on my emotions, remember? Come on, Hisoka. You can do it. I know you can."

Hisoka scolded himself for forgetting what Tsuzuki had said before so quickly. This time, he obeyed and focused on his lover. Instantly, Hisoka felt it work. Tsuzuki seemed as though he was trying to keep himself calm in order to prevent Hisoka from panicking. Hisoka felt his love for the older man renew itself at the sheer realization of how much Tsuzuki cared for him. He smiled and allowed Tsuzuki to lead him through the crowd.

**YnM**

Somewhere else in the hotel that the lovers were staying in, two pairs of eyes watched Tsuzuki and Hisoka from the privacy of the hotel room they were in. The man with more authority watched them closely with interest.

"That's the empath?" he asked his minion who stood not far behind him.

"The young blond, sir, yes," came the reply.

"Then…" the 'boss' chuckled evilly "This should be interesting."

**YnM**

"Finally, the perfect, secluded spot!" Tsuzuki exclaimed proudly as he set down his picnic basket and started unfolding their picnic blanket over the ground. Hisoka then began to help him take the food out from the poor overstuffed picnic basket... _Asato and his sweet things…_Hisoka thought to himself with mild amusement. As soon as the huge array of food was laid out in front of them, Tsuzuki quickly grabbed some pastries and started shoving the sugar balls into his mouth, with the excuse that he was too hungry to wait. Hisoka soon followed suit.

"So what's the plan for today?" Hisoka asked Tsuzuki as he ate, although he would be fully happy and perfectly content with just sitting on the beach with the older man. He watched as Tsuzuki started to swallow his food and gave a look as though he was in deep thought, trying to remember what he had planned for them.

"Mmm, well," he started "we have a massage scheduled in about 3 hours from now, we have some time after that, so if you like, we can come back to the beach and make sandcastles or something," he grinned sheepishly.

"What's a massage?" the teen inquired.

"Huh…? Oh, well, basically you lie down and this misuse, uh, that's the person who's gonna massage you, comes to you and starts rubbing your back or whatever until you feel completely relaxed."

"…"

"What? What's wrong?"

"Uh, well, its just that… it sounds so… perverted in a way." (blushing)(slightly)(:P)

"Ahah…," Tsuzuki scratched his head sheepishly, a tiny blush creeping up his cheeks "I guess it is, kinda. But it'll feel really good, Hisoka. I've tried one before, and all my tense muscles and knots felt fine after I was done."

"Well, if you say so…" Hisoka replied, still somewhat blushing.

They finished their lunch and packed up their things before they went to the shore and played chase-and-run-away-from-the-wave-before-it-touches-you. Before long, they were fairly exhausted and both of them collapsed on the sand, panting and laughing at each other. Tsuzuki smiled with relief as he realized that Hisoka was having as much fun as he was.

"You wanna swim in the ocean, Hisoka?"

"Mm,… not really. Not now anyway, we just ate, and I heard that you should only go swimming about an hour after you finish eating, or you'll get cramps."

"Well, yeah, you're right. The waves are kinda rough now anyway. So then, wanna go shopping?"

Hisoka stared back at the older man incredulously while Tsuzuki stared back at him with begging and pleading eyes so strong that Hisoka had no reason in the world to object to his wish.

**YnM**

"ugh… so many people…" Hisoka mumbled to himself as Tsuzuki led him by the hand towards various shops, mostly selling souvenirs. After a long time of window shopping, Tsuzuki decided that he was hungry again, and so he dragged Hisoka to a nearby café which sold, yes, pastries. He eyed each one of the sweet things with hunger and wanting. Hisoka merely chuckled.

They went in and placed their order. Suddenly, Tsuzuki a sharp pain in his stomach as he sat down. He bent over the table, holding his stomach tightly.

"Asato?! Are you okay?" Hisoka asked him worriedly. _Oh my God, if anything happened to him, I…!_

"I'm okay, Hisoka," Tsuzuki replied wanly "I think I just have a stomachache."

"It must be from eating all those sweets…" Hisoka suggested "Maybe you shouldn't eat so much-"

"NO!" the older man retorted stubbornly "Didn't you see how wonderful those pastries looked? I'm gonna eat them!! No matter what! ( his stomach gave another sharp pain ) well… after I visit the little boy's room…" he added while taking out his wallet.

"Here," Tsuzuki said as he reached over the table and gave his wallet to Hisoka "Hold this for me till I get back, okay? In case they want us to pay early, just take some money out and give it to them."

"Alright, be back soon, okay?" Hisoka called out to him as Tsuzuki ran out of the shop. The green-eyed teen stared at the wallet. Before he could contain his curiosity, he opened the wallet and began flipping through the compartments. _Man, he really has a lot of money (sweatdrop). I feel bad that he's spending so much of it on me though…_

As he continued his search, he stumbled upon Tsuzuki's identity card. Taking it out carefully, he studied his full name, address, career, gender, nationality and photo. _He looks so weird in this picture… did he have a cold or something on that day? _He stared at Tsuzuki's photo where his nose was slightly red. He stared with slight amusement. :P

Then, his eyes fell upon Tsuzuki's birth date. Green eyes widened as he realized the present date and started to compare the dates (Tsu's birthday and the present date). _Oh my God…_

Little did Hisoka know that somewhere in the background, someone else was watching the teen with great interest…

**I shall stop this here!! I'm so sorry, but I can't stand writing so much at a time, but I've really been neglecting this fic, so I pushed myself to continue it… **

**To, Saphirra112, HAPPY (REALLY) BELATED BIRTHDAY!!!! So sorry to make you wait so long, I was really busy! Hope you liked this chapter, I decided to use some of your suggestions to make you happy :P The next chapter will be better, I promise!! Please await it and please review!!! Thank you for reading!!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey all, here's the next chapter of my first-ever fic, 'Promise'... hope you enjoy it! I beg of you to please review my fics, I fear that without constant reviews, I may lose the will to continue writing… ******** But for now, please enjoy Chapter 9! **

**Chapter 9 – Secret Gift**

The middle aged man sitting not far away from the couple sipped his coffee slowly as he watched Hisoka go through his lover's wallet. He had been following them for some time now, watching their every move. He did it with such stealth that no one realized his actions at all. He brushed his silver bangs out of his eyes and tried to get a slightly better look. His target. Soon to be _his_. He chucked softly to himself.

"Soon, empath, very soon…" his chuckle turned into an evil smirk.

**YnM**

Hisoka felt a sudden chill go up his spine. Thinking it must have been his imagination, he brushed it off and ignored it. He brought his attention back to Tsuzuki's identity card. A while later, he confirmed what he knew.

"Today… is Asato's birthday," he mumbled to himself. _Then why is he the one who's going out of his way to make __**me **__happy? I've got to get him something in return… but what?_

He rummaged through his pockets and placed on the table everything he pulled out. Lint, a bandage (for emergencies), a hankerchief and some money that Tsuzuki gave him (just in case). He counted the money while putting everything else back inside his pockets. A relieved smile appeared on Hisoka's face. _Good. I think I have enough to get him a nice present. Asato gave me this money for emergencies only, but I suppose this sort of counts as an emergency…_

A minute later, a pretty waitress brought their order of pastries to the table, struggling with the overflowing tray. "Sorry.. for the.. wait.." she gasped. Hisoka smiled understandingly at her as she placed the heavily laden tray on their table with much effort. As she started to arrange the plates, she couldn't help but stare at Hisoka. _Gosh, he's pretty. His partner was really good looking too.. are they a couple? –sigh- Why are all the good ones always already taken…? Speaking of which, I haven't seen his uh.. partner for a while… I wonder what happened?_

Just then, Tsuzuki stumbled through the front door of the café, looking as relieved as Hisoka was. He sat in his seat across Hisoka, looking somewhat satisfied. "Much… better…" he breathed. ('OH,' the waitress thought to herself as she walked away, blushing) "Ooh! The food's here! Come on, Hisoka, lets eat!" Tsuzuki announced happily, picking up his fork.

"What?!" Hisoka asked incredulously "You just came back from having such a painful stomachache and now you're ready to give yourself another one?"

"But, Hisoka!! The food! How can I see food and _not _eat it?! It would be insulting the food! It would be like saying that it's not worth being eaten by me! It would-"

"Okay! Okay!" Hisoka cut Tsuzuki off "Go ahead and eat! Its not like I'm gonna stop you, just don't stuff-"

Hisoka gave up talking. Tsuzuki had already stuffed his face with what looked like half of everything he ordered, causing the young blond to sweatdrop in defeat. "There's really no controlling you when food's involved, huh?" Hisoka smiled at the hungry brunet gently while resting his chin in the palm of his hand.

"That's right!" Tsuzuki somehow managed to get the words out with his mouth full of pastries. "Well, anyway, Hisoka, don't just sit there! Eat some too! You're waaay too skinny for a normal human being.."

"Asato, don't you remember?" the young blond lowered his voice suddenly "I'm not exactly a 'normal human being'" he winked a little and smiled slightly as he watched Tsuzuki choke on his food in shock at what he had just said.

"A-ha-ha…" Tsuzuki laughed a little when he finally got over his choking fit "Yeah, well, I sorta forgot about that. Scratch that. Yup, you're right. You're not a 'normal' person. You're something much, much better," Tsuzuki flashed a smile at the now blushing blond.

"Sometimes, Asato," Hisoka replied while choosing a cream tart and placing it in his mouth "I really have no idea what goes on in your head."

"Considering what you are? That's cool." (smiles)

**YnM**

"I think… I need to go to the bathroom."

"Really? That's a first… I'll go with you, 'Soka. It's not good to keep it in! A healthy colon is a happy colon! Or something like that," Tsuzuki laughed sheepishly.

"Uh… yeah sure."

The couple made their way to the nearest restroom. As soon as Hisoka saw his partner disappear inside one of the restroom cubicles, he dashed out of the toilet to find a shop to buy Tsuzuki's present. Needing to use the bathroom was just an excuse to get enough time to find the man he loved a suitable gift. He found a charming little souvenir shop and entered it. The lady at the counter was a nice, smiling old woman who welcomed him into her shop.

"Hello, dear! Anything I can help you with?" she asked pleasantly with a thick Okinawan accent.

"Yes, I'm trying to find something for my uh.. friend. It's his birthday today, you see."

"From the looks of it, he seems to be closer than a friend to you, my boy," she winked as giggles followed suit.

"Ah!" Hisoka blushed to his roots "I-I suppose you're right,… Michie-san" he read her name-tag aloud.

"Oh, don't be silly, child! Call me Michie! It's cute enough with having to add –san to it and making it sound all formal!"

"Right…" Hisoka smiled at the cheerful old lady "Anyway, I can't seem to think of anything suitable enough to give my friend. He's just been so nice to me and I don't know how to repay him at all."

"Hmmm…" Michie made a thinking action "I suppose you and your friend are not from around here, are you? If you're here for vacation, why don't you get him a nice souvenir as a way to remember your time here? I could suggest some things for you if you like."

"That would be great!"

"Then it's settled! I'll find something for you if it kills me!"

"Ah, please… you don't have to go that far…"

"No worries, young man! Now, I don't suppose you have something or some sort of information that could help me to find something that suits him?"

"Well, he loves sweets, he seems to have a lot of money for some reason, he's very… loving. Ah! He also gave me this for _my_ birthday," Hisoka revealed as he showed Michie the four-leaved clover necklace that Tsuzuki presented him with after their first date. They seemed to go on a date every time it was someone's birthday. Perhaps it was just a coincidence.

"His name is Asato?" Michie asked as she read the inscription at the back of the pendant "He sounds like a nice guy, giving you this pretty necklace and engraving words like 'Together Forever' on it.. He must really love you! (smiles) Gee, now I'm not sure if I have something as good as this in the form of a souvenir, but I'll have a look around and see what I've got. In a meantime, have a seat, will you?" she smiled as she pointed to a seat that Hisoka could sit on.

The empath watched in silent amazement as Michie went through her merchandise like a tornado. Very surprising for someone her age. Through the sound of moving things here and there, Hisoka barely caught her when Michie asked if Tsuzuki was a weirdo in any way. Slightly taken aback, Hisoka answered that he supposed Tsuzuki _was_ weird on some level.

About a minute later, Michie came out from behind the shelves, covered in specks of dust, but looking thoroughly satisfied with herself. "Well, I finally found this specific piece. It's really old; very valuable and not for sale, but I'll make an exception for you, Hisoka," she smiled at him warmly. She showed him the piece she had brought out and unwrapped the cloth around it, revealing a miniature jade figurine. The lion-like statue gleamed a pretty bright green in the sunlit shop. The blond teen stared at the figurine in awe.

"What _is _it?" he asked the old woman who was currently dusting herself off in the corner. Michie came over to him, smiling.

"_That_, Hisoka…," she explained "is an Okinawan Shiisaa. Shiisaa are stone lions that guard homes in here in Okinawa. I thought this would be a rather good gift for your friend since it symbolizes protection. So maybe, you both can treat it like a protective charm over your relationship. Also, it's one of the things Okinawa is famous for, so it's a good souvenir too!" she panted.

"That's amazing," Hisoka breathed. He examined the palm-sized miniature with more interest and respect. "I'll take it, Michie! How much is it?" He asked while rummaging through his pockets once more. The old woman shook her head. "Nothing, Hisoka. You don't owe me anything."

Green eyes widened. "What do you mean?! I _have _to pay for this; I can't expect you to give this to me free of charge!" Sure, he was trapped in a zoo cage for most of his life, but Hisoka was no stranger to buying things.

"Funnily enough, I do, which is precisely why I said that you don't owe me anything." she countered.

"But you said before that this figurine wasn't even for sale! Besides, it's made of jade and so intricately detailed, it has to be expensive!" the teen brought the Shiisaa to Michie's eyes so she might realize the mistake she was making. This store looked like it didn't have much business and he genuinely wanted to help her. This feisty old lady wasn't making it easy for him. He was also probably never seeing her again after this. The only thing he had to look forward to once he returned from this weekend was a getting a cramp from his tiny cage. Before he could continue pondering, Michie spoke up.

"Dearie, I'll admit business has been slow and usually, I'd do anything to sell something from this run-down old place, but finding this particular piece for you and helping you and your friend get closer means more to me than money ever could. All you have to do if you really want to repay me, well… Just promise me that the both of you will stay together to the end!" she beamed brightly at the perplexed teen.

"I…I don't know what to say." He sputtered.

"Well, if you were listening at all, you'll know that you just have to promise me that you'll stay together to the end, now, wouldn't you? Gee, kids these days don't pay attention anymore…" Michie replied as she started gift-wrapping Hisoka's present to Tsuzuki. Her time to wrap the gift was somewhat cut short by a sudden force that almost knocked her off her feet. Hisoka had rushed towards her and hugged her as tightly as he could. He didn't care that physical contact would only heighten his empathic senses. Michie's emotions were rather similar to that of Tsuzuki's. Loving. Warm. Gentle.

"Michie… thank you… so much!" he managed to get out. "And I'll take you up on that promise! I'll stick with him no matter what." The happy old lady gladly hugged Hisoka back. After receiving the now fully-wrapped Okinawan gift and exchanged goodbyes and promises to keep in touch, Hisoka quickly left the shop and hurried back to the bathroom where Tsuzuki must've been waiting for ages. Sure enough, he found the tall brunet pacing outside the bathroom where he dashed off to buy the gift. As soon as he saw that Tsuzuki turned away from the bathroom entrance, he snuck up behind him to make it look as though he had just come out.

"Hisoka!" Tsuzuki had finally (and actually) noticed that Hisoka was there "You sure took a while! I was calling for you for quite some time; I got worried! I was trying to ask you if you were alright, but you never answered me! What's up with that?" Amethyst eyes looked almost frantic.

"Hehe…" the blond replied, realizing that he really must've worried the older man "Well, it's just that I thought it would be uncivilized to talk through bathroom cubicle doors. It's kinda gross…" he blushed.

Tsuzuki smacked himself on the forehead at that. "Ah. Right. Okay… well, anyway, moving on… Ready to go?" he extended his hand towards the teen, who readily took it. "Yeah, let's go." Hisoka smiled at what Michie referred to as his 'friend'. A promise to stay together till the end. His smile widened. The Shiisaa can wait till tonight. Till then, they had the whole day together.

**This was long… I read back the first few chapters of this story and I find myself hating the way I wrote it back then. But in any case, I'll try to finish this story soon. This chapter was dedicated to my first Japanese teacher, Matsuta Michie. She's not old. :P please review! **


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